Beverage barrel cooler



Sept. 10, 1940.

L. R. PAUL BEVERAGE BARREL COOLER Original Filed 001;. 24, 1935 Q. 6 mmATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES BEVERAGE BARREL COOLER Leon R.Paul, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor of onehalftoJohn J. Daly, New York, N.Y.

Application October 24, 1935, Serial No. 46,478 Renewed November 3, 193815 Claims.

The present invention relates to the cooling of beverages, and,specifically, to the maintenance of barreled beer, in the originalcontainers at desired low temperatures, preferably at, and during thetime of dispensing said beer.

One of the important features of the present improvement is theprovision of cooling means associated with, mounted upon, or substitutedfor, one head of the keg or barrel, the said head being the lower headof the barrel, when the barrel is in upright dispensing position.

Thus, a firm anchorage of the cooler unit is obtained, againstloosening, due to the rough treatment such containers are normallysubjected The kegs may be of wood, or metallic construction, wooden kegsbeing preferable under some conditions, owing to the wood thereof havingsatisfactory temperature insulation qualities.

, In the forms shown herein the main feature of anchoring the coolerunit to the head end of the keg by various suitable means, is oneimportant feature, and in such av manner that the liquid contents restupon the cooler unit, during 35 the gradual withdrawing of the liquid,so that the last remains of liquid are cooled until the keg or containeris completely emptied.

A further feature is that in mounting the cooler unit at the bottom ofthe keg, the coolest beer is adjacent the inlet end of the dispensingspigot.

The foregoing and other features of advantage will be apprehended as theherein description proceeds, and it will be obvious that modificationsmay be made in the structure herein, without departing from the spirithereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a transverse, partially sectioned view, in elevation, of abarrel showing one form of the 40 present liquid cooling means;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the cooling head of Fig. 1, removed from thebarrel;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary section of a cooling head, similar tothat of Figs. 1 and 2, slightly modified;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the cooler unit of Fig. 5, insection, taken on the line 4l, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of thearrows; 50 Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view, inelevation, of a modified form of cooling unit, taken on line 5-5, Fig.4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional 55 view of the centralportion of Fig. 5;

Fig. '1 is a plan view of the cushion holder of Fig. 6, removed fromcooler unit;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of a modified coolerunit construction; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the 5 coupling constructionof Figs. 4 and 5.

It has heretofore been the practice to cool beverages, such as beer, inbarrel containers with an internally arranged cooling coil system,through which is circulated chilled water, or re- 10 frigerants, ofdesired temperature, to cool the beverage, especially during dispensingthereof from the container or barrel.

In the case of beer, such a mode of cooling directly in the containerand dispensing directly therefrom, has numerous known advantages, ismore sanitary, requires less labor in handling, and delivers a betterproduct.

In the methods, and structures heretofore utilized for the presentpurposes, the cooling units, usually in coil form have beensuspended;within the barrel, so that the suspended cooling unit issubject to the shocks of the rough handling usually encountered in thehandling of such containers, with the result that the cooling units arebadly shaken and sometimes bent or distorted.

To avoid these troubles, and to increase cooling eiiiciency the presentconstruction places the cooling unit at the lowermost position of thekeg when it is set on one end for dispensing purposes, as indicated inFig. 1.

To the foregoing ends, there is disclosed in Fig. l, in verticalsection, a beer keg or barrel of characteristic construction, withrespect to its general details of the staves I, the bung spud 3 and thetop head 4, and the mode of mounting said head, these features being ofusual and known practice.

The lower head 5 of Fig. 1, has a triple function as it not only formsthe head for the lower end of the keg, as viewed in said 'Fig. 1, but italso forms the cooler unit for the contents and provides means 1 and 8,external to the barrel for temporary connection to a source of liquidrefrigerant supply, not shown, but will be understood in this art.

The connections 1-8 are in the form of internally threaded, extendingnipples, having ports therein to permit of the admission and ex- 5 haustof refrigerant to the interior passage 6, of the said cooling head, thetravel of the refrigerant being indicated by the associate arrows shownadjacent the nipples I and 8.

The passage 6, in head 5 may be tortuous, or 5 as in the presentinstance, in the form of an involute, commencing at the center, or inlet1, as in Figs. 1 and '2, and, after a suflicient number of coils, theouter end of the coil ends at the outlet, Fig. 2', and is integrallyconnected to nipple 8.

The nipples 1 and 8, are of suflicient length to allow of easyconnection thereto of suitable couplings from the refrigerant supply,but the threaded ends of said nipples are kept within the confines, andprotection of the chime 9, Fig. 1.

The outer periphery 5 of the cooling coil-head 5 is chamfered, like theperimeter 4 of head 4 and is mounted in the staves in the usual annular,angled seat or groove.

As thus described there are no pipe connections within the barrelinterior. When the barrel of Fig. 1 is completed as above described, inassembly it is then pitched, over its entire interior area, in thecustomary manner and, thus the head 5, preferably unade of cast metal,is protected against contactwith the beer, without'any appreciablereduction of temperature exchanging eificiency between the head and thebeen In Fig. 3, there is shown a slightly modified form and assembly ofa cooler unit, in which the cooler unit, generally denoted by It),comprises two coacting sheet metal discs II and |2, the upper platebeing stamped to provide an involute passage l3 and intermediate bafilesH from the threaded inlet nipple H to the outlet, not shown, but whichis similar to the plan view, Fig. 2.

The lower plate l2, preferably flat, carries the threaded inlet nipplel1, which extends through the wooden head I9 of the barrel by means ofthe bore 20, and a threaded clamping ring I8 is screwed over theexternal threads of nipple l1, thus to draw the assembled plate |2 intointimate contact with the inner face of head l9 and effectively sealplate l2, and its nipple IT in assembly with head IS, in a liquid tightmanner.

The outer edge of disc I2 is clamped, by the rolled over, perimetraledge l5 of flange l4 of the upper disc The inner bore of nipple I1 isprovided with coupling threads Hi to receive the refrigerant coupling,not shown.

As thus described, and shown in Fig. 3, the cooler unit I0 is clamped bythe clamp rings III of the inlet and outlet nipples to the inner face ofthe wooden head l9, which acts as a protective support and an externalinsulator for said cooler unit.

Fig. 4 illustrates, in slightly enlarged plan, a further modifiedcooling head coil formed of an involute stamped upper baffle plate 2|and a lower involute stamped baflle plate 22, Fig. 5, both plates beingof stamped sheet metal and having their flanged perimeters 23 and 24,clamped together by a ferruled clamp ring 25. This ring may be providedwith extending ears, such as 2626 on its perimeter to receive thereinheaded wood screws, shown in section at 21-21, Fig. 4, to hold thecooler unit to the wooden head 28, or the contacting baiiies 30 betweenthe matching involute passage forming members may be drilled to receiveeyelets with headed wood screws, such as 3|, Fig. 5, passingtherethrough to hold the cooler unit to the wooden head 28.

As thus constructed, the convoluted plates 2| and 22, form a duplexrefrigerant passage 32, Fig. 4, the threaded inlet 33, passing radiallyto the central coil 32, with a bend b connecting the next reversecircular coil 32, each coil 32 being connected to its reverse associatecoil by bends b, until the last outer coil 32 terminates in a to theoutlet 34, is reversed in its flow from one coil 32 to its nextassociate coil 32, until it passes outlet 34.

As in Figs. 5 and 9 the inlet 33 and outlet 34 terminate at theperiphery of the cooler unit, and in the plane of the cooler unit, sothat the coil lies flat on the bottom barrel head 28, with the inlet andoutlet in parallel relation.

The coupling of the inlet and outlet is illustrated in the enlarged,fragmentary, transverse section, in Fig. 9, wherein one or more of thestaves I are bored with two shouldered bores one, 33 being shown in Fig.9, and in Fig. 5. As both of these connections are alike, 8. descriptionof the structure of the inlet connection, as in Fig. 9, will suffice forboth connections. As in Figs. 4 and 9, both the inlet and outletpassages 33-34 are interiorly threaded, and a threaded nipple 35 isscrewed into the inlet passage 33 through shouldered bore 39, by asuitable tool entered into its outer end slot 36. After this nipple hasbeen seated tightly in inlet 33, a shouldered, interiorly and exteriorlythreaded bushing 31, previously and loosely threaded on nipple 35, andintroduced into the interior of the barrel bore 39 before closing thebarrel, is then engaged on its exterior threads by an interiorlythreaded lock bushing 38, from the exterior of the barrel and the twobushings 31 and 38 are then screwed together, until they are both firmlyclamped and seated in shoul dered bore 39. It is understood that theseconnections are all made in a liquid tight manner, so that there will beno leakage from the barrel or the coil. The exposed inner threads of thebushing 38 are utilized to connect the refrigerator couplings, notshown, thereto.

As in Figs. 4 and 5, the coil may be provided with a centrally locatedflanged thimble or cup, 4|, which, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, passesthrough a bore 45, located centrally of the coils 32, the flange 42 ofthe cup resting upon the outer face of coil 32, thus to clamp the samedown upon wooden barrel head 28, when a headed wood screw 43 is passedthrough the bottom of the cup. The cup is further provided with a softwooden cushion plug 44, which is so located, that when the spigotextension S, similar to that of Fig. 1, is forced down through bung 3,the end of the extension S will be cushioned by the block 44, and thusbe protected from injury to itself, or the coil.

In Fig. 8 there is fragmentarily shown in section, a further modifiedform of cooler unit, and in the present insta. e, this comprises asingle length of ductile metal tubing, such as copper or the like, whichis bent, starting from its central, angled threaded inlet extension 46,which passes through a central bore in wooden head I9, in a closedinvolute, the successive coils touching one another, as at 49', andterminating in a threaded angled outlet extension 41, which passesthrough a suitable bore in head l9. Both extensions 46 and 41 areprovided with lock nuts 4959 to clamp the cooler coil to the inside faceof the wooden head I3, similar to the structure described for Fig. 3.

As a further means for aflixing the coil of Fig.

8 to the wooden head IS, a formed metal stirrup passage.

feature, in that the cooler units are substantially flat and control theflow of the refrigerant in a single plane from inlet to outlet, in a.continuous The units, further are so located as to form a compact 'unitat the bottom ofthe barrel. when in dispensing position. p v

The cooling units either form the bottom head or are closely associatedwith the wooden head of the barrel, in the latter instance the headforms a protector and insulator.

No part of the cooler units are directly or indirectly exposed to thecontents of the barrel, due to being coated with pitch.

The cooler units herein disclosed may be built into new barrels or maybe mounted into old barrels, with a minimum of expense and labor.

In the modifications of Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, where the cooler units aremade of stamped sheet metal, it is not necessary to seal theintra-marginal depressed baliie pprtions H, of Fig. 3, and of Figs. 4, 5and 6, between the coil forming sections, as any slight leakage from onecoil to the other is permissible. The main fiow of the refrigerant isthrough the coils, and the loosely contacting portions H and 30 act asbaflles for the direction of the refrigerant flow from inlet to outlet.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is.

1. A beverage container, comprising a barrel and two closing headstherefor, one of said heads being provided with a fiat, passaged,refrigerant coil and an inlet and an outlet for said passage at itsextremities, said inlet and outlet being extended outwardly from saidcoil, the perimeter of said passaged head being chamfered.

2. A beverage container, comprising a barrel and two closing headstherefor, one of said heads supporting an interiorly mounted, flat,passaged, refrigerant coil, an inlet and an outlet joining said passageat its extremities, said inlet and outlet extending outwardly, andconnecting means rigid with said coil and its supporting head.

3. A beverage dispensing container, comprising a barrel having an upperand lower head, when the barrel is in upright, beverage dispensingposition, said upper head having a dispensing spigot located therein,said lower head interiorly incorporating a cooler apparatus providedwith baffled, refrigerant directing means therein, said means forming acontinuous passage and inlet and outlet means at the extremities of saidpassage, said inlet and outlet means extending exteriorly of saidbarrel.

4. A beverage dispensing container, comprising a barrel having an upperand lower head, when the barrel is in upright, beverage dispensingposition, said upper head having a dispensing spigot located therein,said lower head interiorly supporting a cooler head provided withbaflled, refrigerant directing means therein, said means forming acontinuous passage and inlet and outlet means at the extremities of saidpassage, said inlet and outlet means extending exteriorly at rightangles to said passage through said lower head.

5. A beverage dispensing container, comprising a barrel having an upperand lower head, when the barrel is in beverage dispensing position, saidupper head having a dispensing spigot located therein, said lower headinteriorly supporting a fiat cooler head provided with bailled,refrigerant directing means therein, forming a continuous passage,angled inlet and outlet means at the extremities of said passage, saidinlet and outlet extending exteriorly through said lower head, and meansfor locking said cooler head to said lower head.

'6. A cooler head for a beer barrel, comprising a flat disc-likestructure of circular contour having an interior chamber thereinprovided with interiorly located refrigerant directing baflles thereonto form a continuous passage, and inlet and outlet means at the oppositeend of said passage, the perimeter of said structure being chamfered.

'7. A barrel comprising in combination a head having a windingrefrigerating passage therein,

. and means associated with said head whereby to connect the ends ofsaid passage with a refrigerating system.

8. The combination, in a liquid cooling apparatus, of a barrelcomprising a substantially flat head including a refrigerating passage,said passage being of winding formation, and means extending outwardlyfrom said head for connecting said passage with the supply and returnlines of a refrigerating system.

9. A liquid cooling apparatus comprising in combination a barrelincluding an uppermost head, an opposite head having coactingprojections extending upwardly from substantially the entire area of itsinner face, there being narrow depressions between said projections,said opposite head having a substantially plain outer surface, andconnecting means disposed between said surface and said depressions,said means providing intercommunicating refrigerating passages in theprojections, said passages having exterior inlet and outlet meansadapted to be connected with the supply and return lines of arefrigerating system.

10. A barrel comprising in combination with a body including staves andhaving a top head, an opposite head having a winding passage therein foraccommodating a refrigerating agent, said passage having an exteriorinlet formed on one end thereof, and an exterior outlet for the otherend of the passage.

11. A barrel comprising in combination with a body including staves andhaving a top closing head, and a bottom closing head having a flatrefrigerating coil intimately associated therewith, said coil havingexternal inlet and outlet means disposed substantially interiorly of theouter boundary surface of the barrel.

12. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising in combination a barrelhaving a lower head including an outer surface, said head havingincorporated therewith a fiat refrigerating coil, said coil having theupper surface of its turns forming the inner surface of said head;exterior inlet and outlet means for connecting the opposite ends of saidcoil with a refrigerating system; a tophead; and a dispensing spigotextending through said top head and having its intake end closelyadjoining said inner surface.

13. The combination with a wooden barrel having at one of its ends ahead, of a metal head member mounted in the other end of the barrel andhaving parallel with its plane a tortuous passage, said passage beingdefined by baflles in said member, and inlet and outlet means disposedat right angles to said plane, said means being in communication withthe opposite extremities of said passage.

14. The combination of a wooden barrel having at one of its ends a head;a metal head mounted in the opposite end of the barrel and having itsouter surface disposed interiorly of the plane of the outermost part ofthe chime oi! the barrel thereat, said metal head having therein andparallel with said plane a winding refrigerant passage, and inlet andoutlet connections extending through said surface and being incommunication with the extremities of said passage, said connectionsbeing also disposed interiorly of said plane.

15. A barrel comprising in combination a body having at its oppositeends closing heads, a flat cooler head disposed in intimate relationwith the

